Afterfall
by SarkasticPapoy
Summary: We survived. New London stands as the last city of earth, capable of surviving the mightiest storm. Now if only it was so simple from there.
1. Aftermath

**Some changes to the Lore:**

 **-1 game day is equal to 3 real days. (Meaning the Storm happened around the 4th Month)**

* * *

 _January 13, 1888._

No one understands how arctic elk survive the frozen North. The snow and ice blankets everything under a blinding sheet of white. No grass or green for hundreds of kilometers. Hell, the last time anyone saw a blade of grass, wearing 4 layers of cloth was still just an option for a human being.

Yet here they were, a small herd of twenty alongside a lean creek. A few calves move clumsily through the herd, never straying too far from their mother cow as they chase each other and the snowflakes that fall gently to the frozen earth.

But they are not the target of the hunter. Too small. A waste of ammo. The mothers too. Never a smart idea to kill the provider of future food.

No. His sights were set on one the bulls. Which one to pick was the question. The largest one in the lead watches carefully as his herd grazes. A mighty prize, but not what the hunter wants. Too much chaos. Not to mention the danger.

"Over there. Young bachelor to the left, right between the rocks."

A whisper catches the attention of the hunter who turns his sight away from the sights of his gun towards his companion, a woman clad in head to toe in snow gear. The only visible part of her face is a little glimpse of the skin around her goggles. She breaks away from her binoculars to point her finger at a potential target. The hunter with the rifle nods and turns a bit to the right

There.

In between his crosshairs is one of the smaller, opportunistic males along the edge of the herd. Not the biggest, but definitely a little bigger than the cow. That one could definitely feed a few families for a week or two.

He lines of his rifle and breaths. In. Out.

In. Out.

In.

Pause.

Aim.

Fire.

A loud, thunderous blast from his rifle roars through the frozen tundra as he pulls the trigger. The herd scatter away from the hunters, soon disappearing behind the mound of large snow hill. All except for one, who was down on his side, but weakly struggling to moves its legs as it bled.

The hunter groans in annoyance, while his spotter scoffs amusingly.

"Sloppy shot. A little more, and I would have congratulated you for hitting the broad side of a snow dune." She says with laughter in her voice.

"Forgive me, Syndey, for trying to get a perfect hit from 50 meters in this bloody wind." He grunts as he stands up from their rocky hideout, making his way towards the downed elk. He was soon joined by his companion who was pulling a sled behind her.

"Says the great Jackson Runner, self-proclaimed "best shooter" of New London." Syndey teases.

"Yeah, Yeah. Whatever." Jackson dismissed as they got closer while pulling a blade from a sheath on his belt.

The two hunters, wearing thick white coats with heavy grade boots, reached the distressed elk after a few more seconds of banter. Its rapid breathing produces clouds of vapor along its face every second with its eyes moving in panic. Jackson felt a bit of pity for the elk and he took it to heart, relishing the feeling of human emotion that he rarely can show. He knelt down beside it and aimed his blade for the animal's throat, reciting a short apology as the blade touched the furred skin of its neck.

"I'm sorry for causing you suffering. Thank you."

He cleanly slices the animal's throat, allowing it to give one more cry of distress before falling limp. Both hunters remained still for a few seconds before Jackson stands up and starts cleaning his blade.

"I still don't know why you do that for every kill. It's not like the animal can hear you." Sydney inquires with curiosity in her voice

"The Freeze has taught me that being grateful goes a long way for yourself. Sometimes it's for me." Jackson answers calmly, looking over the newly cleaned blade before putting it back in its sheath.

A faint light touches the ground as they talk. Both hunters look up to see the rising sun peaking over the mountains to their east. A signal to show that their trip will soon be over.

"I'll set up the marker for our location. The Rockwing should be passing over us within the hour. Better get the elk ready for transport." Sydney says as she takes a rope out from her belt and throws it to Jackson.

"Got it." He answers while giving a nod.

Sydney nods back before heading back to the rocky outcrop they stayed at, leaving the small sled with him. Jackson looks back at the deceased elk and begins to tie its legs together. A while later, he grunts as places the corpse of the animal on the sled and starts to make his way back to the outcrop, now where a red flag flies on a short pole.

Jackson soon lands on his rear immediately after reaching the outcrop, sitting beside a portable radiator that continued to give heavenly heat to his gloved hands. He pulls down his goggles to his neck, revealing dark blue eyes that were only focused on the heat-providing machine in front of him.

Syndey was on the other side of the radiator, placing a few lumps of coal on the fuel chamber before moving towards Jackson. She sat closely beside him and extended her own arms towards the radiators, enjoying the warmth on her fingers. The wind howled above them as it was deflected by the jagged rocks that the hunter pair hid behind. They continued to wait in silence, with Jackson's mind only on the thawing of his hands.

"It's been a week now." Syndey says out loud, breaking the silence. Jackson turns his head towards her to see she also put her goggles down, looking at the radiator with dark grey eyes. A small strand of brown her escapes the thick hat on her head to hang just in front of her face.

"Since?" Jackson asks.

"The Storm."

A week. A week from the miracle. The male hunter sighs, vapor coming from his masked face as he looked up the partly-clouded blue sky.

"Right. It's still amazes me, you know."

"About what?"

"That we actually survived."

The moment triggered the memory in Jackson, how he huddled with his family as the glass around their house broke as the cold continued to eats its way through their walls, through their doors.

His family... minus one.

He shivered despite the radiators warmth.

"I'm not. I always knew we would pull through. The Captain made sure of that." Sydney says with a confidence in her voice.

"Do you think you… trust the captain a little too much?" Jackson simply inquires. He looks back at his companion to see her staring at him with surprise in her eyes.

"No way! If it wasn't for him, we would be all dead like those Londoners. Damn fools they are." Syndey says with scoff, before looking around and talking back to him with concern.

"And you should be careful about saying stuff like that. If the guards heard you-"

"We're in the middle of nowhere and I have no intention of ousting the captain. It's just… he almost signed a proclamation declaring martial law, remember?"

"And he didn't because he listened to us. We all protested that it was not supposed to be that way and he dropped the bill. It was a terrifying moment for all of us."

A memory also triggered within Jackson. It was a hard choice. Morale was breaking, and there was panic. He remember seeing the Captain with the rarest look of uncertainty on his face. An uncomfortable feeling of dread entered when he saw their leader also felt fear, fear as he watched the two sides of New London screamed at him regarding the fate of their freedom.

"Hmm…" Jackson hummed, remembering it all.

"We were close to extinction, Jackson. If we broke down, we would have died out. Just like Win-"

"Just like Winterhome. Like Tesla. I know"

He remembers. The fear. The uncertainty. The hope that diminished after hearing Winterhome's demise.

"I know. And I know the Captain could have been a lot worse. It's just, are we even still British? Still part of civilization that we know?"

A moment of silence passed again between them, only the soft howling of the wind filling their ears.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything we done, this whole Order of New London, there are just so many things that happened, and…"

"…"

He just stopped. Syndey continued to stare at her still friend, waiting in curiosity and concern. Suddenly he shakes his head and looks at her with dismissal in his eyes. Yet she remains concerned as she sees some sadness in them.

"…No. I'm sorry. It's been tense. Ever since my Father went into the min-"

Jackson was silenced by the wrapping of an arm around his shoulder that pulled him closer to Syndey. Through layer after layer of coats, he could still feel the warmth that radiated from her.

"Shhh. He sacrificed himself so we can live. You know that right?"

He remains silent for a moment.

"…Of course."

"I'm not asking you to get over it. I just want you to know I'm here for you. That we are here for you."

"Thanks, Syn-"

A deep roar breaks the conversation the two shared, suddenly raising the alarms their minds mentally blasted as danger. Jackson stands up and grabs his rifle, joining Syndey who was already looking through her binoculars at the source.

"Oh no." She says with worry and dread.

Jackson then looks through his rifle sight to see a massive polar bear sniffing around the bloodied site where he shot the elk. The beast must have taken the elk's scent, as the bear took a couple more sniffs around the air before turning his head towards the very same outcrop the hunters were waiting at with their own bounty.

"'Oh no' is right."

END

* * *

 **Author's Note**

This was actually posted in Reddit before I asked for a Frostpunk category. I'll be posting here all resulting chapters.

I just want to explain the 1 game day is to 3 day ratio: There are so many reasons why, like hunger after 1 day and the building a city in 45, much more a house within 5 hours. While 3 days is still pretty fast for a house being built, I would like to imagine they have auto-techs to help with construction. Also to let the story run a little longer.

I would appreciate the feedback. I'm not the best writer but I would like to be, so any constructive criticism would be nice


	2. Cornered

**Some changes to the Lore:**

 **-1 game day is equal to 3 real days. (Meaning the Storm happened around the 4th Month)**

* * *

Chapter 2: Cornered

The polar bear definitely took the scent of the freshly dead elk as it started walking towards the outcrop. It was a huge monster, being almost twice as long as two humans and an entire one in width. But even with that, it was evident the beast was hungry. Some parts of its hide hanged loose and the bear was moving in a sluggish, non-graceful manner. It was hunting.

Gigantic paws crushed snow and gravel every step it took towards the two hunters, leaving visible marks of terrifying claws in every foot step.

Jackson and Syndey were fearfully uncertain on what to do. Leaving the elk for the bear was out of question. The people of New London needed food and coats, and this elk was going to provide a fair amount of those. But staying and fighting the beast was suicide. The noise of gunfire will only aggravate the bear, and their bullets were not designed to take down adrenaline filled animals. Not to mention it was madness to consider taking on a polar bear with a dagger.

They couldn't outrun the bear either. The elk was too heavy even with the sled and the bear will definitely outrun them. Having two dead hunters was not going to help New London, so dying was not a choice either.

Taking a few seconds to stop watching the bear, Jackson looked around and paused for a while before grabbing a round from his belt and started loading his rifle. The sound of metallic and wooden parts moving caught Syndey's attention and she looked at Jackson with confusion.

"What are you doing?!" She whispered harshly. "That gun's not going to do anything against that bear!"

"Not necessarily." Jackson replied as quietly as possible, still loading the gun with gentleness and silence.

"While I can't see or target most of its vital organs from here, we know all animals have a brain and from what I know, it's always in the head. We take that out, we kill the bear."

Finally loading the bullet, Jackson cocks the rifle and holds it close.

"Or at least bring it down or incapacitate in some way. Enough to buy us time for the Rockwing to get here."

"So we'll wait for the bear to get close before you shoot? The bear can tell our white coats apart from these black rocks. It will spot us immediately." The female spotter said worryingly. The bear was a few meters away, getting closer and closer.

"No. You'll stay here." Jackson, rising to his knee and facing the entrance of the outcrop.

"Me!? What about-" Syndey never finishes her sentence as Jackson suddenly jumps out from the outcrop and into the snow by the side. He stands up in full view of bear, making the animal aware of his presence.

"Hey bear! Come on! Come here bear! Come this way!"

The hunter shouts at the polar bear, striding away from the outcrop while facing the beast. If he didn't have the bear's attention before, it is clear that he had it now. The bear started moving towards him, almost as if it was irritated by the noise of this stranger.

 _"You're insane."_ Syndey thought with increasing worry and confusion as she watched the bear move away from her and towards her partner.

"Adriane, you better get that rust-bucket here soon or else I'm going to haunt you from the grave." She whispers under her breath.

Jackson continued his slow and deadly dance with the bear. While there was still distance every step he took away from the bear, the animals was definitely getting closer with every step it took. He couldn't keep this up for long. And it was becoming increasingly obvious that the bear was disturbed by his shouting. The loud grunts of the animal and the faster moving of paws were signs of that. Still, he had an objective. Taking a few seconds to glance behind, he found the crack on a cliff wall that he seen a minute ago. It look small enough to fit him through and not the bear. But that was from afar.

Now his problem was that it looked bigger than he thought it did, and not as deep as well.

"This is why you're the spotter, Syndey." He whispered tauntingly towards himself as he continued to move towards the crack, leading the bear on with him. The human pressed on, not deterring despite the ever increasing odds that his plan may fail.

 _"Now's not the time to doubt. Doubt leads to death."_

A phrase he remembered the Captain say during the morning assemblies in the days before the storm. And it is now where Jackson realized it was all true. He could not back down. He already invested too much. He was too far from the outcrop. Going back would only harm him, their bounty, and Syndey.

He could not have that. He won't have that.

He reached the crack and stepped inside it, going slowly inside while watching every step to make sure he doesn't trip on the small rocks at his feet. He sees the bear heading closer and closer, just one or two meters away from the opening.

With one round in his rifle, the human hunter lifts his rifle up towards the entrance as he continues to move back. The tunnel he is in continues to get smaller and smaller. He could already feel the edges of the walls on his shoulders. Within a meter, he would have reached an end where it was too small to go through.

Every step he took back, he estimated the distance of the passage in-front of him.

Still too wide.

Too wide.

Not yet enough.

Then stops. It's perfect.

He fixes his stance and rests the rifle butt to his shoulder. He looks through the sights of his rifle, watching and taking in every detail of his target. His breathing gets slower and slower as his eyes adjust to the darkness while never turning away from the approaching bear. The beast continued to move through the crack's tunnel, going ever closer to the noisy creature that disturbed its hunt. Jackson can already see it all. The long and thick coat of white fur that protected the animal from the harsh cold of their world. The black beads of the bears eyes. Every cloud of breath that escaped its huge snout.

The bear started slowing down. It continued to claw its way forward but found the tunnel growing ever more constricting around its huge bulk. It moved towards the human at a slow pace before it reached a part where it can no longer continue, only two paw lengths away from the human.

A distance right where the human's long wooden and steel rifle was only a few inches away from its head. Another puff of steam left its nose to touch the metallic barrel.

Jackson pulled the trigger and took the shot.

A blinding light and loud thunder filled the tunnel for a slight moment before a pained roar echoed the crack. Jackson didn't bother looking at the bear after it brought its head down and its front paws on its face. He's main priority was getting out and he did so by jumping on the bear's back then jumping once more from the beast into the ground in-front of him.

He landed on both legs and ran towards the cave entrance, trying to get away from distressed and angry roaring behind him. He almost reach the entrance when his foot got caught on one of the rocks right before the opening and he stumbled face-down into the snow outside.

Jackson saw that he made it out and immediately turned on his back, just in time to see the agitated and furious bear turn around. Its left eye was shot out and blood streamed down the tainted white fur up to its bared fangs, bearing the image of a bloodlust full beast. Jackson tried to get on his feet, but a stretching pain shot through his right leg, causing him to fall on his side. He fearfully realized he sprained himself as he tripped on the rock. With no choice, he started to crawl backwards away from the polar bear, never letting his eyes off it.

But while he was in a state of immobilization, the bear was also not faring well. It struggled to move forward, heading towards him in an erratic manner as it stumbled side to side. It was once again a deadly dance between man and beast. One that was much less graceful and more desperate and vicious. The human hunter realized he had time.

With the idea of firing his rifle again, Jackson searched his belt for ammunition. To his shock, he couldn't feel any in his magazine. He looked back at where he fell and despairingly groaned at the sight of his rounds on the snow.

 _"Damn it all."_

He got even more worried when the bear stepped on the fallen rounds as it continued to approach him. He dug deeper through his magazine, trying to find anything through the thickness of his gloves. After much struggle, he felt one more round at the corner of his magazine.

He clumsily took the round from his belt, trying to insert it in his rifle with haste. Unlike his smooth reloading in the outcrop, rifle shivered and clanked at all the shaky movements. He was moving backwards rather than sitting still, his fingers were no longer heated by the radiator but freezing from the snow, and he was under a much more stressful pressure of time as the bear continued to go closer.

A flare shot out from the outcrop, distracting both Jackson and the polar bear with a loud whistle and a loud blast as reached the sky. A bright, loud flare meant for an S.O.S. signal. The bear grew more agitated, now heading towards Syndey, who was standing up in full view of the bear. Her back was turned against them, hiding her face from the male hunter. Jackson thought in fear that his partner had fired the flare to distract the bear. Syndey had nothing to defend herself with. She was doomed if that bear reached her.

He had to act. Act fast with the time given to him.

He removed his gloves without hesitation, exposing his fingers to the cold air but now they can move without restriction. His clumsy movements changed to graceful motions in reloading. Swift and proper, the round was in place. A cock from the rifle's spring and he gave a loud shout at the polar bear, taking its angry attention once more.

"Hey! Come here, beast!"

It started heading towards him again, giving its own roar in return.

"I didn't survive the end of the world to die like this!" He screamed at the bear in reply. He only agitated it further, bringing it to go faster towards him.

The polar bear was only a meter's length away from him, but he refused to give up. With his last round in the chamber, he aimed towards beast with an all-or-nothing attempt at his survival.

He stopped moving in his sitting position, aiming with shaky hands at the ever-closing snarl of the monster in front of him. Finger on the metallic trigger.

Hold.

Aim.

Fire.

A thunderous blast echoed around him.

And then another one.

END

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Just a filler chapter. The chapter filled with actual frostpunk lore is coming soon.


	3. Relief

**Some changes to the Lore:**

 **-1 game day is equal to 3 real days. (Meaning the Storm happened around the 4th Month)**

* * *

Chapter 3: Relief

A thunderous blast echoed around him.

He noticed one of the bear's front leg bucking under it, causing it stumble down as blood started dripping down to its paw. What confused him was that his gun didn't even fire.

Another shot rang out, hitting the bear on the side. Finally distressed with fear, the bear desperately turned around, trying to get away from the harm being thrown at it.

"Hey, Runner! You can stop being hero now! We need you alive for tomorrow's hunt, you know!"

Jackson turned his head around to find the source of the shout. When he found it, a feeling of relief he never experienced before took hold of him that he just dropped his rifle beside him and laughed at the sky, shouting a retort to his saviors with humorous teasing and gratitude.

"About time, you damn fools!"

A steel and wooden air barge hovered above him, radiating the majestic but powerful aura of human steam technology. From the open deck, three hunters were firing their rifles on the retreating bear. Contrasting the reddish glow of the ship's furnace, the ship's dull brown hull of metal had an imprinted word on its side that Jack was more than happy to see.

Rockwing.

One of the hunters jumped out of the aircraft, taking a 5-meter drop into the snow below her. As she stood up, Jackson noticed she held a large dagger that was almost as long as his forearm. She took a mad sprint across the snow towards the stumbling bear, getting closer every second.

Thus the hunter has become the hunted when the human leaped from a boulder overlooking the bear. She locked on to her prey and aimed her weapon towards the bear's nape. In one swift motion, the dagger plunged through the bear's backside, finally bringing down the beast. The hunter took a final push on her dagger through the bear's spine, stilling the bear to become a motionless corpse. After a few seconds on the dead bear's back, she lifted the bloodied dagger and took a look at her bounty, appearing satisfied at a clean and painless kill.

The Rockwing approached a small clearing near the creek, continuing to hover less than meter off the ground. A metal ramp went down the side and four hunters left the barge, two heading towards Syndey, who was smiling, teary-eyed with thankfulness despite carrying both the sled and the radiator. The other pair went to a still laughing Jackson.

"Oy madman, get up." Said one of the hunters as they stood above him. He was a large, bulky man, visibly muscular from head to toe, despite the layers of winter coat on him. With is goggles down, his brown eyes had a hint of annoyance at his comrade lying down on the snow.

"Just a moment, Russell. I had a close encounter with death over here." Jackson humorously replied with his laughter slowly dying down.

"Join the rest of the city, mate." Said the other one at his right. His lanky structure contrasted the hunter opposite him, being a lot thinner but half a head taller. An exposed tuft of brown hair partly covered his forest green eyes. "Can you walk?"

"I can limp. Kind of sprained my leg as I tripped." Jackson said as he finally stood up, proving what he said as he tried putting as much of his weight as he can on his left leg.

"Come on, Mac. Let's help this poor bastard." Russell said with a deep voice as he positioned himself on Jackson's left side to put his arm on his shoulders.

Mac nodded but stopped to after seeing a pair of discarded clothing by his feet. He picked up Jackson's gloves before moving crouching him to support the downed hunter. He bent awkwardly to put Jackson's arm on his shoulders due to the height difference, but was able to help support him enough to walk.

"Better put these on, Jack. Some hunter you'll be if you lose your fingers to frostbite." Mac adviced as he gave the other glove to Russell before focusing on putting one of the gloves on his left hand.

"I'm touched that you both care." Jackson teased with an actual hint of sincerity.

"Hpmh. Keep yapping and I'll leave you here for the wolves." Russell scoffed.

Both men helped him board the Rockwing, where the elk was already loaded in the cargo nets, soon to be joined by the polar bear carcass that was being carried by the rest of the crew.

"That was pretty mad of you, Runner. Taking down a polar bear by yourself." A sharp voice came from behind him as he stepped off the ramp and into the barge.

He looked back at the hunter who slew the polar bear that was almost responsible for his death. She was casually cleaning the blood of the dagger, her blue eyes not even looking down where she walked as stepped onto the ramp.

"You're one to talk. Jumping out of a flying hunter barge and engaging a bear with a combat knife." Jackson retorted as the men to his sides let go of him by the wall of the barge's deck so he can lean on it.

"That's my sister for you. Anna 'The Eagle' Beaks." Another voice, more relaxed and welcoming, came from the steering helm of the ship.

Unlike the white-coated hunters, he wore a dull-brown pilot's winter garment that had a thick, furry hood. The bi-speckled flight goggles on top of his blonde hair also distinguished him from the rest of the hunters, who had goggles with a much more protective design than an ocular one. The most noticeable difference from the man was a metal arm and claw that took the place of his right arm.

"I didn't even realize she was out of the Rockwing until I heard Paul shout 'Bloody hell! Anna jumped out of the ship!' Both loonies, you two are." The pilot half-joked, half-scolded his blonde twin, who rolled her eyes in response.

"A polar bear like that could feed a family for half a month. Besides, its coat would be a fine gift for the captain." Anna defended as she took a seat on one of the metal chairs welded by the deck wall, right next to Jackson.

While the blonde hunter continued to pay close attention to the cleaning of her blade, Jackson gave a thankful smile to the ship's pilot.

"Thanks for the save, Adriane. Really got me through there." Jackson appreciated with gratitude, eliciting a scoff from the pilot.

"Good thing for you that we spotted that flare. Set the Rockwing's engines to overdrive once we saw it. Marcy's going to kill me back at the hangar for pushing this lady to her limits." The pilot joked as he lightly pat the ship's wall with his natural hand.

Jackson look outside, trying to find a specific person that Adrianne mentioned. He only saw Friedrich and Wesley securing the nets.

"Where is Paul?"

"O-o-over h-here."

A weak voice brought his attention over to the Rockwing's furnace, which gave both the power of flight to the ship and life-giving heat to the crew. Right by the controlled fire, Paul Lance sat on the floor with a thick, roughened blanket that covered his shivering body. The bandage that covered most of his face revealed a small lock of black hair and only one of his brown eyes that revealed exhaustion.

"Paul! What happened to you, mate?" Jackson asked in concern.

Paul tried answering, but came really bad stutters that Jackson was only able to understand a few isolate words.

"He wasn't lucky as you were. One of the elephant seals from our hunt bashed him into an ice wall, right before he fell through some thin ice." Explained Russell, pulling a lever that brought up the ramp once the final crew members stepped on the ship. "Talk about tough luck."

"We're all on board!" Cried Friedrich to Adriane.

"Good. Let's get out of here. Jenny, full power to engines!" The pilot called out to the woman behind the furnace who had a similar outfit as he had.

The black haired woman nodded her head and turned multiple handles and levers by the furnace's control interface. The glow of the engine seemed to get brighter, then she gave a thumbs up to Adriane, who confirmed with a nod of his before pulling a metallic chain by his side.

"Hold on tight!"

The fire of the furnace intensified as the Rockwing's engines roared with activity. The ships propellers spun faster and every second, the ship moved farther and farther away from the ground. It continued its ascent before stopping around a hundred meters on the air. Smaller, side propellers then shifted direction and pushed the ship towards the north before the main propellers launched it forward. The flight was a bit rocky at first. The sudden adjustments would cause a first-time hunter to stumble. But all the hunters stood or sat steadfast as the ship took a smoother, straight flight.

"Okay, that's everyone. We're set for New London. At this rate, we'll be home just in time for the Morning Assembly." Adriane announced without turning towards the hunters, hands on the steering wheel and eyes up front.

"Can we just make it to the City after the Assembly? I just want to sleep." Complained Russell as he walked up to the helm beside the pilot.

"You're not going to get any recognition from the Captain with that attitude." He was soon joined by Anna, saying so with the straight face she usually carried.

"Anna's got a point. I wouldn't mind taking a guard's position. To stay in the comfort of New London and help keep the peace." Mac entered the conversation, leaning on the wall near them and wishfully looking out into the sky.

"Please. Life out here as hunter in the Frostland is much more exciting than sitting at some guard post all day." Russell scoffed.

"It's a lot warmer too!" Joked the ever-concentrated Adraine. "Running around, being chased by polar bears really gets the blood flowing!"

As the group of hunters bickered like a proud but sorry lot, Jackson noticed he hasn't seen Syndey since they entered the Rockwing. He scanned through the ship's deck, looking side to side to find her.

The light clangs that rang as you pat the metal walls that lined the interior of the deck was contrasted by the deep thumps that arose from every step on the brown, wooden floor. Adriane continued to fly the ship without ever turning his head away from their path, laughing at the conversation he shared with a reserved Macbeth, an annoyed Russell, and his poker-faced sister, Anna. Wesley was leaning on the wall, sitting sloppily as he dozed up with the rocking of the barge. Jenny looked through the furnace controls one more time before walking over to Paul with a blanket. Friedrich was already by the injured hunter's side, giving him fresh water from a steaming waterskin.

At last, Jackson saw his hunting partner, the last member of a crew of ten, by the rear of the ship. He could not see her face as she was turned away from him, but he can tell that she was looking down into the ground below them. Wind blew across her, sending whatever strands of brown hair that escaped her hood flying around her head. Yet she herself remained still, leaning on the deck window's surface with depressed shoulders.

Jackson forced himself to stand up to walk over to her. The pain on his leg was still present and made him limp, but at least who could walk towards her. He could tell she already knew he was coming, but did not bother raising her downcast face.

"Well we're finally he-" He was immediately interrupted by a hard slap to his right cheek. Not enough to knock him down, but it sure stung.

"Ow! What the hell, Syn-" The look of tears falling from his partner's enraged and distressed face stop his him mid-speech. She was still looking down, looking at the Rockwing's floor than his face.

"Do you know the fear I felt when I saw the bear corner you in that crevice?" She reprimanded softly in a deathly, yet worried tone.

"Hey, I had a plan, right? You saw that I got out of there."

"Do you know the thoughts that ran through my mind when I saw you on the snow, lying on the ground, facing that beast?! The heart-stopping realization that you could only crawl away from it as it got closer to you!?" She angrily screamed at him, conflicted by the terror seen in her grey eyes.

The loud screaming caused more than a few eyes to turn towards them. No words were uttered by anyone else on the barge as it flew. Only the howling wind fulfilled the role of being the silent music to their ears.

"The pure agony that I was helpless as death approached you inch by inch?" She whispered softly, bringing her head down not even bothering to look at him once more.

Jackson was about to say something when she leaned forward into him and rest her head on his chest. Right before thumping her forehead roughly over and over it.

"Why do you have to be such an idiot? We have had this conversation before. You can't expect me to just tell your mum and Alexis that you died because of something stupid like that. I can't do that, you know?" She complained annoyed and scared, with the last sentence muffled into his coat.

He felt shivers from her. Not from the cold but from whatever feeling she had that brought tears into his chest. The hunter wrapped his arm around his spotter, suddenly forgetting the sting on his face.

"Hey, come on. You know me. You knew me since we were wee babies back at London. You remember the time I was gonna throw myself in the river, even if I didn't know how to swim, just because you dropped your doll in it?"

Jackson continued to remind her, rubbing his hands warmly on her shoulders to comfort his childhood friend. He looked up to see Jenny, Paul, and Friedrich looking at them with curious eyes, with maybe a few from the cockpit. He subtly jerked his head and eyes to the side, silently asking them to mind their own business. They complied by averting their eyes and continuing what they originally were supposed to do.

"You remember the time you got yourself caught in the tree and I had to climb an automaton's leg in order to reach you? You remember the time I jumped over the policeman's barriers just to get you on board the dreadnought?"

Her shaking became less and less, as well as the hiccups and tears that came from her.

"How I nearly went toe-to-toe with some idiot, drunk guard because he thought you were some piece of meat and slapped you on the bum?"

The memory caused a small laugh from the spotter.

"I could have handled that myself. You, on the other hand, nearly got arrested for that, dumbass." Syndey joked, still covering her face with his coat.

"And damn right did I fight for it. Hell, I was about to storm all the way to the Captain just to rant about his men who were like this. Good thing for the drunkard that the Captain was smart bloke and reprimanded him or else I would have punched him right in the noggin."

"And he would have punched you in yours. The man was larger than you, if I can recall."

"Still, I would have kicked his arse from here to London. He would have been as knocked out as Wesley is over there" Jackson bragged as he humorously pointed out to their fellow hunter, who was starting to snore in a less-than-graceful position.

Both hunters shared a laugh at that, completely at peace despite the rocking of the ship. Syndey finally looked up to Jackson, eyes slightly red from tears that marked on her face.

"I'm not going to die. Not today, not tomorrow, and certainly not like that." Jackson declared to her. Syndey responded with a disappointed chuckle and a shake of her head.

"Don't make promises like that. Not where we are." She replied in a gentle but solemn voice. "It might comfort me, but don't make that promise. Not in this world."

"Then how the hell am I supposed to reassure you that I have it according to plan?" Jackson asked with fake urgency as he once again tried to break the serious atmosphere.

"You can't reassure me of something you know that you don't have!" Syndey teased with laughter, bringing a sigh from Jackson.

"That is true."

"Oy lovebirds, hate to break the moment but-"

"Ships to our starboard!"

Russell was interrupted by another announcement from Adriane. Both Jackson and Syndey broke their embrace to head to the Rockwing's right deck, being greeted by the sight of two similar hunting barges. One had a catch similar to theirs, full of seals and other mammals, while the other seemed to be loaded with fish.

"Looks like the Sea Eagle and Shooting Star had good runs today." Macbeth pointed out, seeing the other two ships had successful hunts. As they grew closer, they see the outline of the hunters aboard the other ships, with some waving at them. Syndey and Macbeth also waved in return, a way of congratulating them for a good hunt.

"We'll be joining up with the rest of the fleet soon. I guess this a good end to another night of hunting." Adriane declared as he looked through his telescope. From his vision, he can see a few more barges farther up north, also heading towards their destination.

Jackson took a breath of relief. All worked out well today. They did their job, got a good bounty plus a rarity, and now the only thing waiting was a warmed bed and a hot meal.

"Yup. Onward to New London. To home"

END

* * *

After hours of reading reports, papers, and other proposals, a man by a wooden desk filled with documents just sighed. He looked out and watched a few snowflakes dance down to the earth, glowing gently as the blue sky of the morning came without the sun. It was small moments of peace like this that still kept him together, all because of one fact in his life.

Steven Swordfoot was not a rested man.

END


	4. Rest

**Some changes to the Lore:**

 **-1 game day is equal to 3 real days. (Meaning the Storm happened around the 4th Month)**

* * *

Chapter 4: Relief

Warm, yellow light from the steel nightstand brought light to the thin, brownish papers held by an aged man sitting over his desk. His tired, ruby red eyes sharply scanned the report in his hands that detailed the status of New London's outposts.

The Fishing Village by their east continues to bring a steady supply of arctic cod and shellfish every morning since the river outpost was established two days ago. The storm froze up most of the river's water but it was nothing a few drill holes were able to solve, especially since the drill left behind by the Tesla fishermen was still somewhat functional.

In that topic, scavenger findings from the re-established Tesla City outpost fell shorter than expected. The storm destroyed or damaged most of the electrical devices guarding the city, allowing access to the members of the scouting corps. This was good because they finally had access to the advance technologies and abandoned buildings hidden in the city. Workers began tearing down the most damaged buildings and sent the steel wreckages over to New London while engineers and scouts search for any new designs and blueprints that they could build in the factory.

Unfortunately, most of the city is now buried in the snow and sources of the rare steam cores scavengers took from city, such as defenses and other advanced designs, were destroyed. From these first five days alone, only one steam core was found. Engineer's digging through Tesla City hope to find the knowledge for steam core manufacturing within the abandoned factories buried and wrecked in the snow, but nothing has resulted so far.

The bottom-most notes were regarding the preparation for the Winterhold expedition caravan, expected to launch next week. The expedition hopes to not only establish an external source of wood, but search for more intellectual properties that can still be recovered, whether it be scientific researches from the observatories or any potential aesthetical treasures that could have been brought by nobles.

After placing down the report in front of him, the man slowly ran a wrinkled but muscular hand over his bleaching hair and took a long sigh. There always seems to be bad news around the corner, but at least there is good news.

He was tired. After hours of reading reports, papers, and other proposals, He looked out and watched a few snowflakes dance down to the earth, glowing gently as the blue sky of the morning came without the sun. It was small moments of peace like this that still kept him together, all because of one fact in his life.

Steven Swordfoot was not a rested man.

How could any man be if there were in his position? He had to play the world's most important balancing act. One wrong move, and humanity dies. Basically it.

Even right now, despite the relative peace brought by the high temperatures of -40 degree celcius, there was still so much still so much to do. The mad amount of papers and folders stacked on top of his desks was just one proof of such. There always a new problem to solve, a new question to answer, a new mystery to answer, and it goes on and on.

People have complained that they work 24 hours shifts when in some days, he doesn't even sleep for days. They raised their voices at the soup law during the final days before the storm but they don't realize that he was the first to fill his stomach with the gruel so that others can eat the last few whole meals. And while he did live the closest to the generator, he made sure everyone had proper housing before he did, residing in the last bunkhouse. And that was during the air-freezing temperatures of the storm.

It looked like a thankless job, but he knew it was far from such. The people of New London had their hope in the city and their captain and many made sure to express such to them. Letters of gratitude and praise, sometimes a special trinket or gift from a citizen, the provision of warm meals for the city's guards, and a simple but unforgettable drawing from a young child. Yes, discontent rose from time to time. It didn't end with the Londoners. But in their dying world, you can't have everything.

He took another deep breath again and looked back at his desk. To his left was a neat stack of finished readings. The one at the top, was the statistics report of their supplies. With the new drill wall set at the south of New London, a welcome surplus of wood would help warm the houses of the citizens, as well as ease the coal usage of the life-sustaining generator. With the recent weather patterns, maybe they can put the generator settings to a gentle level two and focus on re-stabilizing the mines with stronger support beams.

Which brings him to the next program in his hands, the scheduled memorial for the sixty men and women who lost their lives in the dark and freezing tunnels of the coal mines. Some froze immediately upon contact with escaped drafts of freezing air. Some were crushed by rock and ice as the supports failed and buried them to never be seen again. Some died by sheer exhaustion, willingly cutting themselves off from food and shelter for many days straight, just to reach the deepest mines.

He hasn't forgotten any of them. Not a single name, not a single of detail on their face as they volunteered.

Cody Newmann, an aged engineer in his 70's and one of the first to volunteer, personally told him that he believed the world was for the young ones, not old men like him.

James Deacon, a young coal miner who has not even reached 20, entered the frozen shafts with a carefree smile on his face.

Ellysa Princeton, a lord's daughter before the storm, had the fiery eyes of a woman with nothing to lose.

Andrew Runner, the father of a family of four, shivering with fear on the outside but steadfast with an aura of sacrificial love.

Kelly Smith, a refugee from Tesla who gave her life for a people who used to be across an entire ocean

Joy Damion.

Freed Clawford.

Aji Kandoi.

And so many others. All gone.

There were sixty of them. Sixty people who had their own lives, friends, and families. Even now, the miners continue to find bodies of those who sacrificed themselves. And there are bodies that still haven't been found as well.

It was only five at first. Steven was told it wasn't as bad as they thought, and wanted a quick trip for the volunteers. In and out quickly. Then they told him it was worse than all their predictions. Another wave of volunteers so that the sacrifice of the five will not be in vain. And an even more dreaded report after. He was about to cancel the restoration when the last thirty stepped up and willingly went into the mines, even fighting some of the guards who were told to stop anyone from entering the death trap.

He should have said no. He should have stopped them. There was enough coal for the generator for a few more days. They could be there right now, all celebrating the life that they should have kept with everyone else. He should have put his foot down. But he didn't.

He was weak. A mistake. They never should have placed him as Captain. It only lead to disaster.

Only lead to the division caused by the founding of the New Order.

Only lead to the infighting between the Loyalist and the Londoners.

Only lead to the abandonment of the sick refugees, just so that the city lived.

Only lead to the deaths of sixty brave souls.

The weight was a heavy burden in shoulders. His heart ached and his body sored. His spirit was tormented by all these consequences. The voices that taunted him when he is alone. Was it too much?

He lowered a shivering hand down under his desk to feel the cold metal of his personal revolver. His fingers run down the gun's short barrel, moving into smooth edges of the cylinder before lastly resting on the stiff metal of the trigger. His mind wandered to the bullets that were just stored by his desk's drawer that was in front of him.

Steven Swordfoot was not a rested man. He wanted rest. And rest was easily within his grasp.

With just one click, he could rest.

Finally.

But no.

Not today.

And he let go of the revolver's handle.

 _Now's not the time to doubt._ _. Doubt leads to death._

He cannot doubt himself. Not in this critical time of growth and repair. This time to mend the city and its people. And he knew it will only lead to more pain if he was not there. More suffering in the chaos that would ensure. More death.

Maybe rest would be his someday. Just not now.

He coughed slightly as he got his mind back in order, bringing the lowered hand to his face to cover his face. He took note of how they will proceed with the ceremony later and placed on top of the list of finished papers. The captain then took another report from the slightly less organized pile on his right. It was a report from one of the infirmaries in the housing districts. Before he continued, a hand landed gently on his right shoulder, followed by a voice that sounded angelic to him.

"Steven…" The voice came with care and warmth, laced on the sides with worry. "You have been awake since the work shift ended yesterday. You need to sleep, love."

He turned around to see a beautiful human that he did not deserve. Her deep, blue eyes, while aged and surrounded by wrinkles, never failed to take his breath away. The isolated strands of silver hair on her brown locks only added to the wonder he felt for his wife. He shook his head lightly, dispelling the spell he cast on himself every time he saw her.

Steven Swordfoot was not a rested man. And Layla Swordfoot knew this fact about her husband.

"Just these last two reports, Layla. I will be done soon." He responded with a sigh in his voice.

"That is what you said ten reports ago, Steven. Your body is weary and your eyes are betraying you." She said lighly with humor in her voice, yet carried a strong message of concern.

"I'm surprised it has been that long. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you." The aged captain held the hand on his shoulder with own, looking straight into the eyes of Layla with gratitude.

"Do not change the subject. Please rest." She requested with firmness, ironically unaware that rest has entered his mind a few minutes ago.

"Please, let me just finish these last two. If you want, you can stay with me and help me read them." Steven offered as a compromise

"It would be an honor, dear." Layla said with glee before giving a reprimanding gaze. "And should be my duty. As the Captain's wife, I want to help you."

"The burden is heavy. I wish not to put such weight on your shoulders." Steven looked away from his spouse, with a hint of shame in his gaze, his voice was steadfast with guilt of being weak.

Which was completely ignored by her.

"I will have none of that. You are mine and I am yours. What you have is mine and what is mine is yours. Remember our vow." She reminded him tenderly before placing an open palm across Steven's hand that held the infirmary report.

"Now give me that report and let me help you. Please."

Steven first hesitated, but soon recognized the wisdom in his wife's words. He placed the report in her hand and she began reading. A concentrated face soon turned to wide-eyed surprised before turning into glee.

"What heavenly news, Steven! New London, as off yesterday midnight, had its first born resident!" She announced with joy in her voice.

"What?" The Captain inquired with the same level of surprise. "How? New London Has only existed for 5 months."

"Mary Everlastt, who left London pregnant, went through labor and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, who she named Hope." Layla answered, almost spilling tears in her own eyes. "Hope Everlastt. What a lovely name for a lovely girl, especially in times like this."

It was news that this that let Steven go on. From the good deed report of a guard, to the news of a father surviving The Great Storm just to save his daughter, it gave him hope. Hope that it was not all in vain. Hope that in the end of all this, Humanity will go on.

"That is indeed special news. Great news, in fact. Please fold the report and hand it to me. This is news that I will definitely have to announce during the morning assembly." He kindly asked his wife, who nodded before folding the report and giving it to him. He placed the folded paper in his pocket and took another paper from the right pile.

"As I promised, this is the last report I will read." He looked at the title and saw that it was the recent findings of the scouting corps.

When The Great Storm hit, the entire geography around them changed. Many locations and previously known areas were buried under snow. Only certain landmarks from their old maps, like the ruined cities, certain human infrastructures, and a few observatories, remained recognizable. Scouting groups had to map their area again, but with boosted, lighter sleds and surviving landmarks, it was reestablished and they continued to expand the range of their expeditions. In fact, the northern scouts soon found themselves following the storm as it head northwards.

Steven opened the paper and started to read. And then came the shock. He could not believe the words seen in this paper.

"Layla… look at this. I need to know I am not imagining this." He said slowly while his eyes continued to scan the report. Layla went beside him and also read the report. She then too had complete astonishment and wonder on her face as she continued.

"Oh my Good Lord…" She said quietly, bringing a hand up to the open mouth of her face. "Steven…"

The paper in front of him was… Unbelievable. Shocking. Unreal.

Steven Swordfoot was not a rested man. And ever since all the tragedies that were accursed upon him and the city, he was willing to believe the he, and New London, will just continue this endless cycle of restlessness forever.

But if it was true… then…

 _This changes everything. Our priorities. Our mission. Our new goal._

 _We are not alone._

END

* * *

 _As the Rockwing's crew stepped off the air barge, Jackson noticed his fellow hunters from other ships started running towards the entrance of the compound. Not only hunters, but support staff and engineers as well._

 _He grabbed the arm of one of the running hunters, getting his attention._

 _"Hey, What's going on?"_

 _"The Captain! He's in the airbase!"_


	5. Home

**Some changes to the Lore:**

 **-1 game day is equal to 3 real days. (Meaning the Storm happened around the 4th Month)**

* * *

Chapter 5: Home

It had been around an hour since the Rockwing joined the rest of the hunter fleet. Adriane kept the ship at pace with the others, moving in a diamond formation with the other air barges filled with meat and forage. The only thing seen below them was white, either from the ever-lasting blanket of snow or rolling clouds. Yet the barges continued to move through the cold air without stopping or hesitation.

Despite the rising sun, the cold breeze continued to hound the hunters. They either sat by the metal seats attached the deck and walls of the ship or around the compacted engine furnace. Jackson was one those who remained standing by the windowed walls on the starboard, watching the brown, metallic ships cut through the thin clouds that whisked past them.

There are a few things Jackson appreciated since the start of the Frost. These small moments of silence was one of them. The howls from the wind seemed to fade away as he gazed into the clouded, blue sky. A much more relaxing coolness touches his face as the ship moves through the sky. Before, only nobles and colonists were able to experience flight, with the latter only going through it once. Since they deployed the hunting ships, it is something he has reveled in almost every night and morning.

He looked away for a while, taking a quick glance at the deck to observe his fellow crewmates. Syndey was sleeping soundly beside his empty chair, her back against the deck's wall white sitting straight up with a little slouch. Wesley was still sleeping, just in a more humorous position than Syndey. He was straight off snoozing on the floor, head prompt up against one of the sand-weights, with his mouth wide open. Beside him, Friedrich and Mac were also sleeping while sitting down on the seats by the opposite wall of the ship.

Russell was awake as Jackson was, and kept a vigilant eye on the rest of the crew and the air space outside the ship. Jenny took a break away from tending the engine to check on Paul, who was developing signs of a slight fever, shivering and a warm head, to add to his injuries. Adriane continued to steer the ship through the wooden wheel in his hand and claw while Anna stood beside her brother, looking through a telescope towards the direction of the fleet.

Jackson walked towards the Beaks twins, with a slight limp on his healing leg.

"Looks like all went well today." The hunter said as he approached the twins. Neither looked towards him, but a trained eye can see that they definitely heard him.

"Almost. It seems the Providence has had a poor night. I only spotted a few hares on their catch, not to mention they were signaling for injuries when we regrouped with the fleet" Anna stated her observations, turning her telescope to the ship she mentioned, around a hundred meters from the Rockwing. She can see the red and white signal flag still hoisted on the flag pole of a deck with one or two rushing crewmen going to and from stationary figures covered by what appears to be blankets.

"I managed to radio in with their ship's pilot. On their way home, half of their hunters were walking over a hollow iceberg that was pushed into the land by the storm." Adriane explained with sadness. "The weight of their catch brought the whole thing down. No one died, thank God, but I heard one of them impaled his foot on a jagged icicle. They stopped the bleeding by clamping down the leg from the top, but knee down, the leg is beyond saving."

"That's the third major accident we had since we went back to the Frostlands and it's only been a week." Jackson noticed with worry. "Things like this used to happen only every month or so. And that was including when we used to travel on foot."

"The Storm obviously managed to change our environment as well. Perhaps in insane and dangerous ways we can't think off." Anna stated darkly.

"We were basically blind to everything that happened outside the city when it came. Who knows what else it hid under all that snow?" Adriane added to his sister's statement. "Even with the city's crater walls, we still got winds reaching a hundred kilometers an hour. I can only imagine what it was like on the surface."

Jackson gave a solemn sigh.

"If this keeps up, I don't know if the casualties we sustain every hunting expedition will be worth it."

"It will always be worth it." Anna replied back with firmness as she turned towards the male hunter, lowering her telescope. "The food that allows the survival of our city will always be worth it despite the dangers. You and I both know deaths from hunters in previous expeditions didn't stop us before and they definitely won't be the last."

"Then I hope the engies got something special for us with all these new hazards." Jackson replied. "I love excitement as much as the next guy, but one kilometer high cliffs of sharp ice is a definite red flag for me."

"I don't think the engineers have anything to add to us. It's just all bad fortune with all that has happened. We'll adapt, as usual."

"Still. A stronger rope or a gadget to detect stuff like that before we step into the snow would be something I definitely would get and appreciate.

Before the conversation continued, Adriane squinted his blue eyes behind slightly fogged goggles as he spotted something through the dark shadows of the clouds. It appeared to be a faint glow that pulsed on and off."

"Hey Anna, I need you to zoom in on the horizon, eleven o'clock."

His sister did so without haste, looking through the telescope while the pilot grabbed a handheld radiophone by the helms surface.

"That has to be the beacon, Adriane. Bright lights, the spinning beams, the usual." Anna said to her brother who gave a nod in reply.

"Got it." Pressing his thumb on a button by the side of the radio, he brought it close to his face. "This is Rockwing to Genesis. Do you hear me, Genesis? Over."

Around a second has passed after he let go of the radio's button. Immediately, a voice came through pilot's speakers.

" _Copy, Rockwing. We hear you loud and clear. Over."_

Adriane held the button again before replying.

"We have visual on what appears to be the beacon, North-west bound of the fleet. Request confirmation. Over."

A few more seconds passed. Around ten or fifteen. The pilot's helm remained in silence before the voice broke through."

" _Copy, Rockwing. We confirm that is the beacon. We are coordinating the shift in the fleet's course. Stay in formation, over."_

At the front of the formation was the largest of the fleet's barges, The Genesis. Being twice the height of the Rockwing and three time the length, the whale hunter ship turned slowly towards the re-occurring glow. Its actions were soon followed by the other ships in the formation. At the left-most corner of the formation, the Rockwing took a similar change in course. As they moved closer, the faint glows started becoming brighter and brighter, soon becoming bright beams of light they could see from miles around.

As all ships followed the light beams that penetrated through the clouds, they approached closer and closer to its source. And there it was. The beams of light lead to a large, spinning lantern inside a large hot air leather buoy, tied to the ground below with a thick chain.

"There's the beacon, boys and girls. Hold on tight as I bring this girl down." Adrianne announced to the crew as he pulled another lever. Steam released from the side of the Rockwing as it started descending through clouds, revealing much more than just snow and vapor to the humans in the ship.

The airships lowered themselves into a gigantic crater in the snow. Its massive walls of ice around the crater provided protection to whatever resided inside from both hostile razor winds and external, smaller threats such as aggressive wildlife. Jackson turned his eyes away from the fleet and looked down at the city below them in wonder.

"I could do this a hundred more times and it will never get old."

New London was a figurative oasis in the vast desert of the arctic. Rather than water as the critical resource, the central generator, as massive and powerful as the smoke that rose from its hellish exhaust, was the beating heart of the city that gave life-sustaining heat. Heat was the only thing that kept the people of New London safe from the chilling air of their frozen world, being pumped across hundreds upon hundreds of meters of pipes along the roads and into houses, workplaces, hospitals, cookhouses, and every part of the steel-lined city. The large machine also generated electricity for the citizens of new London, illuminating the glass windows with a glowing yellow that brought life to the dull brown metal and wood structures.

At the moment, the only place with the signs of occupancy was the housing districts, both the central district and the south-east district. At the center of the city lied the main housing district, heated solely from the generator itself. With a few infirmaries and cookhouses, a large percentage of New London lived and slept in the warmth of the city's core. From the ship's deck, Jackson spotted a number people already rising up and getting ready for the day. A few were heading to one of the cookhouses that they passed over, ready to receive the breakfast for them and their families. Along with a one or two metal caged fighting pits, the most notable structures were the tall and watchful guard towers that were lined with the red and black striped banner of the Order. The bright spotlights that came from the towers sometimes head up and scanned over the ship's belly before pointing back down to earth.

It was far from the start of the workday, so people were either still asleep or eating breakfast with their families and roommates. So the western engineering district, the northern farming district, and majority of the industrial districts remained still in the eyes of Jackson, with the only signs of operation being from open windows of the infirmaries and the gentle, moving silhouettes of the titanic automatons.

Despite flying above the city, the announcements from the agitators placed all across the city still were able to reach up all the way to the barges.

" _Citizens of New London! Please note that the morning assembly starts at nine today! The work shift starts at around ten o'clock in the morning afterwards. Take this time to rest."_

"Huh. That's odd. Why so late today?" Jackson wondered curiously. The morning assembly was usually at seven, while the workday generally starts at eight.

"Well, it is the… memorial ceremony for the sixty." Anna paused in the middle, remembering what today was for and what it meant to the hunter across her.

"Our condolences, Jackson. We know we said it before, but still." Adriane said solemnly, speaking out for the thoughts he and his sister shared.

Jackson gave both of them an appreciative smile, looking away from them at back at the city.

"Thanks, Adriane. Anna. I'm just happy they won't be forgotten anytime soon."

Passing over the north-side farming district, the fleet began to land in a large compound that was half-hidden in a high-roofed cave on the ice wall of the city. As the Rockwing slowly and gently moved inside the compound with the rest of the fleet, a much more blackened, rocky wall was revealed inside, rather than the chilling bluish white ice. The stony floor was filled with hangars of varying shapes, with the largest of them being an open landing pad at the center of the cave. The Genesis slowed down and started a majestic halt to its operation, touching metal support clamps with gentleness and power.

As with the other smaller barges, the Rockwing broke off formation to head to a hangar marked with a large, painted number four by its roof. The hangar's opening was only slightly larger than the ship, making it a comfortable fit for the approaching air barge.

Adriane pulled a lever by his side, which followed by a release of steam by the ships steel balloon and a steady descent through the wide open metal doors. With a few more maneuvers from the both the pilot and the ship, the Rockwing landed firmly unto the strong metallic supports that kept it suspended a few feet from the ground. The shaky vibrations the ship made upon landing stirred the sleeping hunters, with Syndey being the first to wake up with a groggy expression on her face.

She stood up and took a stretch with her arms, locking her hands and pushing them all the way up while giving a yawn.

"Urgh. That's was a good nap. Guess we're back home?" The spotter said half asleep.

"Nah. We're back in London. Eternal summer just came up. We actually saw something green this time." Jackson joked as he approached his friend, eliciting an annoyed grunt and a shove at his arm.

Jenny was starting to deactivate the engine when she was startled by a loud shriek came from the hangar's floor.

"Jennifer Arthurs! You bring that ramp down right now! Do you hear me?!"

Jackson can see Adriane nervously looking back at the Rockwing's entrance platform, where a slightly trembling Jenny was moving a hand slowly towards a lever.

"Jenny, n-n-no don't do that yet. We can still have t-time to think this t-through." Adrianne tried to reason with a little stutter in his voice.

The only reply he got was a guilty and apologetic smile from the engine operator as she pushed the lever that opened brought a metallic ramp out of the ship and move downwards towards the floor.

Right in front of two, heavy-duty leather mechanic boots. The moment the ramp touched the ground, a boot lifted up and stomped on it with a loud clang, followed by another one and another one. The clinging sound made by the tools that swung either at her belt or on her bag added to the metal serenade of doom that made its way to the Rockwing's deck.

Jenny step-backed a little quickly from the Rockwing's entrance as an irritated red-headed engineer made her up the deck with annoyed scowl on her face. Her light chocolate eyes scanned the ship's helm before closing on a hunched figure by the steering wheel. Every step she took towards the pilot made him feel a bit smaller every time. Even Russell and Anna took one step away from Adriane as he was slowly approached by a figure who was an entire head shorter than the two were.

"Beaks."

Jackson thought the chilly feeling that came with her voice was colder than the first day of the Storm.

"I'm thankful that he saved us, but I think I'd rather face the polar bear again than be in Adriane's shoes." He whispered to Syndey, who only nodded back while watching the scene in front of them with great caution and interest.

Adriane nervously turned around to see a very unimpressed face glaring right at him

"M-M-Marcy! Hey! How a-a-are you? Ice- I mean n-nice of you to greet us as w-we got home!" The pilot said with a masking joyfulness that was betrayed by a really bad stutter.

"What did you do to my ship?" Marcy asked monotonously, completely ignoring his first statement.

"T-t-the s-ship? Nothing! We are perfectly fine. Nothing out of the ordinary! Absolutely nothing!"

"Idiot! Do you think I cannot recognize engine overdrive when I see it? Do you know how much black exhaust was coming out of the ship's vents?!" She loudly scolded him, making Adriane bring his arms up in defense as he took a step back for every step she took front.

"Oh come on! These are coal powered air barges! They release smoke all the time! Coal powered! Smoke, you know?"

"Not that much exhaust! A little more and this ship would be blowing off as much as the generator itself!"

"Wait! I can explain!" Adriane looked around for the two people who were the reason for the emergency drive so that they can get him out of the hot water, only to find them hastily going down the ramp.

Along with the rest of the crew.

Leaving him alone with the fuming bomb in front of him.

"Oh we are getting such a rant from Adriane later for leaving him with Marcy." Syndey warned with laughter as they got off.

The duo moved to the hangar controls to close the large opening on the roof of the hangar. The rest of the crew went out back to help unload while Jenny and Russell held a weakened Paul on their shoulders.

"Better him than Marcy." Joked Jackson. "That I can at least stand without cowering in fear."

"Nice to see the Rockwing crew as rowdy as usual."

A voice from in front of them caught their attention. A man with a grey winter coat approached them with quiet, but powerful steps. His brown eyes looked towards them with seriousness, but there was a lax atmosphere seen in his posture.

"Foreman Relic, sir." Both gave a salute to greet their superior before he waved them down in dismissal.

"Runner. McSpring. Good to see you on the ground." He said with a tired but relieved voice. He paused as he heard feminine shouts coming from the Rockwing. His eyes turned to the sound before closing them slowly and giving a sigh.

"Avan is scolding Beaks again, isn't she?" The foreman said as he stressfully pressed his nose bridge.

"He had to set the engines on overdrive to quickly respond to our distress beacon." Syndey explained with a little embarrassment.

"Heh. She'll go easy on him with that reason. Still, she's been attached to that ship ever since she was assigned as a ship engineer, so it might be a long talk for him nonetheless." Foreman Relic remembered with a chuckle, before realizing the full explanation of Syndey. "Wait, why was a distress beacon fired?"

"Syndey and I were under attack from a polar bear. Almost got us good if it wasn't for the others." Jackson answered calmly.

"Any injuries on your part?" Relic asked with concern, adding to the shift from a formal expression to a more critical one.

"Other than a sprained leg, nothing to worry about, sir. Almost like it isn't there anymore." Jackson explained with a slight pat on his injury.

"Still, be sure to check with the infirmary today. Sickness is something we can't afford with our hunters." The Foreman said with a sigh of relief.

Even with his high position, Thomas Relic always had their back. A hunter himself before the barges, he was promoted to foreman of three ship crews, including the Rockwing. He helped plan locations for hunting, kept in check with the scouting corps for new information, and accomplished important paper work that gave his crews a lot of leeway.

"Paul, on the other hand, got pretty-"

"Foreman Relic! Foreman Relic!"

Jackson was interrupted by one of the maintenance workers who ran towards them with urgency. When he got to them, he took a few seconds to catch his breath before giving a closed letter to the foreman. He took it in one hand and scanned the contents of the letter, eyes going wide in alert as he finished

"Call all the personnel of Hangars Two and Six to the courtyard immediately!" He quickly told the worker, who gave a salute in response.

"Yes, sir." The runner said before running out into the compound.

Foreman Relic looked towards the two, who caught wind of the potential urgency of his orders.

"Runner, McSpring, see to it that your crew is assembled in the courtyard! Now!" He firmly ordered before running out of the hangar as well.

"Yes, sir!" They shouted at his retreating figure. The hunter and spotter started moving quickly back to the Rockwing.

"What's going on?" Syndey asked with hard breathing as she moved.

"I'm not sure." Replied Jackson with a similar breath. They ran towards their crewmates, who were starting to unload the contents of their ship.

"Guys! We need to get to the courtyard right now!" Jackson shouted at the crew.

"Why? What's the rush? We still got to unload the hunt." Mac asked as he lowered a seal carcass from the net.

"We don't know! But Foreman relic is calling everyone down right now!" Syndey loudly replied at the whole crew, even catching the attention of Adriane and Marcy who were at the deck of the ship.

Mac, Friedrich, Anna, and Wesley dropped the catches in their hands and also ran towards the hangar door. Adriane and Marcy ran down the ramp to join while Jenny helped Russell in placing a blanketed Paul on his back. As they all exited Hangar Four, hunters, engineers, and support staff were all running to the compound entrance, forming a huge crowd at the rocky yard. Other hunters were helping their injured comrades down from their hangars, even some who were completely bloodied like the crewmen of the Providence.

Confusion was still in the faces of the Rockwing's crew as they walked down. Jackson, who was at the front, took a few more steps forward and called out to the running hunters.

"Hey! What's happening?" He asked one who stopped for a moment to reply.

"The Captain! He's in the airbase!" The hunter replied with surprise, as well as a little confusion. It was as if he didn't known why, which was most likely the case.

Jackson gave a nod and the hunter continued his run again. He looked back at his crewmates who were also shocked by the news.

"The Captain? Here?" Anna asked with curiosity.

"Why would the captain be at the hunting hangars?" Wesley asked out-loud

"Who knows? We better get to the courtyard to find out." Jackson said as he gestured to the group to continue moving towards the gathering of hunters at the yard.

The hunter corps, including the new field of engineers who maintained the barges and the support staff who either were for base maintenance or food processing, were a sizable percentage of the New London population. Almost one-fifth of the citizens were involved with the hunters. With automation becoming useful for preventing frostbite during the final days before the Storm, more and more workers were being dedicated to hunting expeditions to stock up on food.

After the Storm, the vacuum of manpower created by a few automatons that were damaged beyond repair was small compared to the work done by the majority that were still functional, so many workers still retained their jobs as hunters. This huge crowd of more than a hundred people was the source of the loud murmuring and whispering, all asking questions of similar inquiry.

"What's Captain Swordfoot doing here?"

"Is this why the morning assembly is going to start late?"

"What could the captain have to say to us?"

"Maybe there's a criminal in our midst."

"Do not speak such rubbish! Have more faith in your fellow hunters."

A man dressed in a black thick winter coat, darker than the greyish coat of the foremen, stood on an elevated foreman platform in front of the crowd. His persona lantern, attached to the side of his waist as the practice of New Londoners so they are always seen in the snow, was reversed pear-shaped like the one everyone else carried, but also had some sharp edges that formed some sort of triangle, forming a shape similar to the symbol of the Order.

Another difference he possessed, other than the red sash that went diagonally across his chest, was a night stick sheathed on his side. On his hand was a megaphone that he brought up to his face.

"Attention, Everyone! The Captain is here!"

From a group of guards that were just dressed like the man on the stage, minus the red sash, a figure stepped out with a radiance of power and respect. His thick, fur-covered boots gave controlled stomps with each step up metal stairs of the platform. Unlike the other black-clad guards, he wore a brown furred winter coat, with a huge mane around the neck area. The most eye-catching garment that he wore was a deep blue ribbon that went all the way from his back at the nape to the front his chest, pinned by a large, brass V-shaped object that actually was the symbol of the Order.

The red-sashed guard took a step back so that man can stand in the middle of platform. The Captain took a step forward then looked at the people in front of him. The white hair on his head and beard waved slightly in the wind, but his blood crimson eyes remained focused and unmoving. His posture was firm but not menacing, giving off an aura of confidence yet unboastful. Then Captain Steven Swordfoot started speaking with a deep, calm voice.

"At ease, hunters of New London. This is not a formal gathering or one of great priori…"

He stopped after spotting something within the crowd. This something was actually someone, and multiple people at that. Some were struggling to stay up, holding on to their fellow hunters like crutches as they shivered in pain. Some were sitting by the side of the crowd with evidence of bloodied wounds, being nursed by a few crewmen. And he could swear that he saw someone, confined in a small stretcher, who was with a missing leg!

"Why are there injured people within the crowd?" Captain Swordfoot darkly asked the red-sashed guard behind, turning around to reveal a scowl on his face. The guard remained unmoving, but there was a slight shiver in his breath.

"Sir, we called all the hunters to attention as soon as we heard you were coming. We made sure everyone was to get here for your- "

"What I have to say is not worth the delay in their treatments, Lieutenant!" The Captain's loud scolding, though still controlled, revealed angry and disappointed emotions.

He pointed to the guards at the left side in front of the stage. "Guards! Escort all the injured to the nearest infirmary with haste!"

The guard section gave a salute before moving towards the crowd, urging the injured personnel to follow them out of the compound. They helped carry stretchers with injured people on them and guided those being supported on the shoulders. Jackson's attention went to Russell, who was carrying Paul on his back.

"I'll go with them to bring Paul to the doctors. Pass on the news to me about whatever the Cap's got for us." His large crewman declared as he stepped from the crowd to follow the convoy of guards and injured hunters.

"Sure thing." Jackson called out to Russell as he left with the others.

He turned his attention back to the captain, who was watching the departing people with concern. He might not agree with the captain on everything, but he admired how the captain prioritizes the health of his citizens.

Once they left the compound gate, the captain returned his attention to the crowd in front of him.

"As I was saying, this is not a formal gathering or one that may not even seem of great importance. But it is to me." He said as he looked upon the hunters with warth.

"First, I want to thank you all in person for the work you do for our city. At night, you become our providers. We would not have the food or clothing that we would need to survive if it wasn't for your daily sacrifice. At daylight, you act as a reserve for our city, whether for emergencies or construction. The city would not survive without this service, and New London is blessed to have citizens like you." Captain Swordfoot claimed with praise as he took a slight bow towards them.

The hunters were surprised at this, some clapping in applause for the captain while other spoke amongst themselves.

"Who knew the Captain actually appreciated our duty?"

"Finally! Some of the recognition we deserve."

"Oh please. The only thing you caught today was a rabbit."

"God bless the Captain!"

He raised his head from the bow and brought his hands up to signal them to calm down. The voices died out and soon attention was all on the captain once more.

"I know you are tired and still have duties to finish. I will soon leave you to your responsibilities in peace. But before I go, I hope to see you all in the assembly later. Not only will we honor the brave souls who sacrificed their lives for our survival, but I will deliver a great news to London that will either bring great hope or confusion to our people." Captain Swordfoot said with an unusual light and excited tone that Jackson never heard before.

The murmuring once again continued, but this time with confusion and curiosity.

"And in the next few days, I will need your help. I tell you this because I believe it is the workers of the hunting corps that will play a crucial role in the next step of our city. Know that I believe in you and all your work and know that the city shares the same belief. Good day and God bless." He ended with gratitude and another humble bow towards the people.

As he rose from his bow and began his descent down the platform, one hunter raised her arm up high, fist clenched towards the heavens.

"Long live Captain Swordfoot!" She cried out towards the departing party of the captain. Others in the crowds shouted with her, raising their hands and cheering as well.

"Long live Captain Swordfoot!"

While the other hunters cheered and conversed loudly with one another, from either pride of being praised by the captain to gossip of what news it could be, Jackson entered deep thought.

Throughout all this time as a society in New London, this was definitely something new. The Captain never spoke of anything with such high praise or positivism. It was always another disappointment at best, or a complete disaster at worst. The bright tone in his voice was pleasant surprise, but still unexpected.

What news could he possibly give that could bring him such joy?

END

* * *

 _The murmuring of the masses continued to grow stronger with each word the captain was saying. That wasn't the only good news? What more could there be?_

 _The Captain held out a roughened parchment in his hand, holding it out for all of New London to see._

" _What I have in my hand is the report of the Northern scouting expedition. In here is a detailed description of their findings as they continue to follow and track the Storm. And it is news that I wish to share with you, for it affects you as much as it affects me or any other citizen!_

" _We have always wondered if we were truly the last of mankind. We were devastated by the news of Winterhold's destruction. We were disheartened by the ruins of Tesla City. Continuously discouraged by the abandoned observatories and the apocalyptic news they contained. And hope continued to fade time and time again for every failed generator site we stumbled upon."_

" _But let me tell you this, New London. We are no longer alone. We are not to be the Last City on Earth!"_

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _\- If you want an idea of what is the outfit of Captain Steven Swordfoot, you can watch the Frostpunk Serenity trailer. It is one of my favorites._

 _\- I was supposed to submit this yesterday, but I had a long week filled with exams every day. I will get back to my regular schedule of uploading at friday night soon._

 _\- This was rushed, so I expect a lot of errors in grammar and spelling. Please forgive me and help me spot them._

 _\- I appreciate the feedback and those who either PM me or post reviews on how I can improve. Once again, thank you._


End file.
